Couples Counseling Chronicles
by Rogue Devlin
Summary: For some undisclosed reasons, Nanoha and Fate will attend to a couples therapy conducted by Hayate. / discontinued forever, sorry to everyone who was following.
1. First Session

If you are anything like me at all, it's very likely you have a job that consumes most of your time. Or maybe you have to go to school. When I was a student, I had to juggle between homework and actual work. Total madness, I can assure you. I guess that somehow trained me to the madness that would continue now, in my bureaucratic-government type of life I lead to this day. And please, don't get me wrong, I do love my job but that doesn't stop me from remembering there is a world, in fact many worlds, out there.

So, what do you do when you are not dedicating hour after hour to your never-ending job? I'm sure you have your "special thing" to which you dedicate part of whatever free time you have left. There's people who love to cook, others love to paint or write or practice some extreme sports. You see, the options are pretty much unlimited, but there's some of us who just love to go from one project to another just to keep our sanity at bay. Speaking about sanity, I should probably tell you that I've been attending some lectures con psychology and psychotherapy and I've decided to use all my recently acquired knowledge to set up a blog. It's not really that much knowledge I acquired, and I'm certainly not an expert on that topic, but that's beside the point. I don't know a thing about blogging either. The thing is, this is my new project. I have my mind set on it. Of course, to write a blog one must have a topic, and after quite a brainstorming session, I finally pinpointed my topic.

I have decided that my new project will turn around my long-time best friends. You might have heard of them, the notoriously famous Tactical Flight & Combat Intructor, Nanoha Takamachi and renowned Navy Enforcer, Fate T. Harlaown. You might wonder what my intentions are with them. Well, let me enlighten you. My idea is to have them participate in regular sessions for couples therapy, not that I think they need it, of course, least of all conducted by me, but that's not going to stop me anyway.

I don't know how I'm going to be able to have them participate from their own free will on this. I know how Fate keeps to herself almost everything that has to do with her, and don't get started on her relationship with Nanoha because then she's even worse. I will have to find a way to have Nanoha participate so Fate will have no other choice than to participate as well. I do know how my beloved friends work after all this years friendship, it'd be a shame if I didn't.

Blackmail them? No, that wouldn't be my style.

I could make a bet with Nanoha. I do not understand why that girl is so keen on bets, but if I do I must make sure it has to be one I'm bound to win. I must offer her a very tempting reward as well, otherwise she won't agree on telling me all her stories. Although I do think that with the idea of a bet, I'll already have her halfway there. We could go to those popular places where people gamble, but on second thought, I'd rather not. What do I do if she stays hooked? Fate would have my skin in a second or how would I tell Vivio that her mother become a compulsive gambler because of me? No Hayate, forget about taking Nanoha to such places. Nothing good can come out of that even if at fist it seems funny.

So, getting back to our topic... oh yes, our leading couple. They really have an interesting story. I don't mean to spoil all the fun beforehand, but I can tell you a little about them. Just a little bit, because the purpose of this is to have them tell their own stories. The truth is that, up to this day I see them as one of the most steady couples I have ever met, which is hilarious if you consider the fact that the first time they met they were ready to kill each other, literally. And then, an unbreakable bond was what followed up to that ferocious introduction.

It would seem that Nanoha resorts to befriending (and more) with pure raw brute force. It's ironic, since she's the warmest sweetest person ever. Her method is certainly unorthodox, but so far, it's been effective, there's no doubt about that.

So, the idea is to do this properly. First of all I have to determine the interview zone, I mean, the counseling office. Well my office will have to suit for that. It gives the proper formal tone required. The complex is almost empty on Friday afternoon's since we only have half-day schedule, so I don't have to worry about us being interrupted. It's just on seldom occassions when I have to work on something on Friday afternoons. I've also noticed that Fate recently has managed to adjust her schedule to come back home always on Friday, since she spends most of her time out of planet. Yeah, Fridays should probably work out. Place? Check. Date? Check. Well almost positive about that.

Now, the next step is to get my guinea friend - mind me, my guinea pig, Nanoha. If I'm not very much mistaken she must be right now at home preparing dinner for Vivio. She's such a home person. Let's see if my theory is correct. I'll activate the screen-com.

"Nanoha, hi!"

"Hayate-Chan! What a surprsise!"

" What's up?"

"Nothing much. I was about to cook dinner for Vivio."

I do know my people. There's no doubt about that,

"What do you say to me taking you both to dinner?"

"Now?"

"Sure, nothing too fancy. We can go to one of those fast-food places where we'll enjoy pseudo food and Vivio will have a little toy with her meal."

"We are going to McDonald's?" Vivio appeared in the screen, her bi-colored eyes shining with delight.

"Hayate! You know I don't like Vivio eating junk food from those kind of places."

"Oh come on, Nanoha. Besides, Fate always takes Vivio when you are not around."

"Say, what?"

Oops, my bad. I probably shouldn't have said that. Now they are ignoring me and both Takamachi girls are arguing with each other.

"Hey, girls? I'm still here, hello?"

Nanoha must have activated the muting for the communicator because I can't hear a thing. I can only see them moving. Nanoha waves her arms, and Vivio laughs. Nanoha is out of the screen now. Oh, here they are again.

"Okay Hayate. At what time do you want us to meet?"

Nanoha agreed with a very-proud-of-herself smiled Vivio.

"I'm off to pick you two right this moment"

* * *

"Oh come on, Fate, it's not that bad."

"Mou, Nanoha, you could, at least, have talked to me first."

"Ne, Fate-chan. I didn't think I was going to lose, besides this thing with Hayate sounds like fun."

"You never actually think you can lose. Fun? Geez Nanoha, sometimes I'm worried about your concept of 'fun'."

"Now it turns out you don't have fun with me."

"I never said that."

"Well Fate-chan if the first session turns to be beyond all bearing to you..."

Nanoha left her phrase mid-air and completed it by very suggestively biting her bottom lip in such a way that had Fate flustering in no time.

Whoa, Nanoha, you are a box full of surprises. Who would have thought you actually blackmailed Fate in such ways. But you see now? That's the kind of interaction I've been talking about. Now I can enjoy myself observing and documenting them. They have an outstanding ability to neglect the world around them when they are like this. Here I am, having both of them arguing with each other and it's as if I wasn't even here at all. I'm pretty sure I could stand on my head and dance the can-can half-naked and these two would never notice.

It probably would be much wiser to remind them I'm here with more conventional ways.

"Ehem, ehem. What do you say if we start already?" They both looked at me as if I had not being sitting behind my desk all the time and I had just magically appeared there. "First of all I want to thank you both for participating."

"I didn't have much choice," Fate protested.

"Now, easy Fate, Nanoha already made it clear that she'll make it up for you, so be nice."

The blush in my blonde friend's cheek appeared almost by command.

"Let's start then the first session for my Couples Counseling Chronicles for the Pair of Aces."

"What do you mean by couples counseling?" Fate was again interrupting me and Nanoha was just laughed out loud. "We do not need counseling."

"It's the name I chose for it. Sounds good."

"It makes no sense."

"Let's start with the basics. Please state your name and age."

"Don't be ridiculous, you know perfectly how old we are."

"I need to follow the procedure."

"Nanoha Takamachi and Fate Testarossa Harlaown. We are both twenty four years old," Nanoha answered slightly elbowing Fate so she would settle down.

"Right. And how long have you two been together?"

At this moment, things started to get interesting. Fate immediately answered fifteen years, while Nanoha answered at the same time, ten years. The looked at each other and then back to me.

"That's alright. We'll get into that later. The general idea if for us to have weekly sessions where will cover some topic and you'll tell me something about your lives that has to do with said topic."

"What kind of topics?"

"The newsworthy ones of course. Sex."

I could see Fate's temper rising again.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Fine. Not for a start, though." I answered trying to muffle a burst of laughter. Now I understand why Vita enjoys teasing her so much. I have no idea how I missed this unparalled source of unlimited fun. "We'll talk about the real topics covered in actual couples conseling therapy. Jealousy, arguments, break-ups, how you raise Vivio, how it affects you both having Fate away from home so long. That kind of stuff. The truth is I've seen you all this years, and despite your youth, you have been together for so long and have made your relationship work. So it's like Inverse Couples Counseling, if you get my drift. Do you like the idea?

"It doesn't sound half-bad at all," Fate accepted.

"Wait a second Hayate. Who is going to know about this?"

"Don't worry about that. I won't disclose your stories raw like that. I'll basically use them as inspiration and to draw conclusions from them. Your privacy is guaranteed.

"So what are we going to start with?" Nanoha asked, sounding really interested.

"Your in-bed stories are a no-go, then?"

I didn't know Fate could actually growl.

"I can tell you an in-bed story, if that's what you want."

"Nanoha!"

"Come on, Fate-chan. Trust me. Let me remember when this happened. Yes, of course, we had been at Riot Force for one...or two months tops."

* * *

"Are staying up much longer?"

Nanoha kept checking out the training videos, and Fate was already comfortably enjoying their bed under the sheets.

"I just want to..."

Nanoha didn't complete her sentence, something on the video had attracted her full attention.

Fate waited a few seconds more to see if Nanoha would actually finish her phrase. There was no answer. She was deep on her thoughts again. Fate fluffed her pillow, and moved around until she finally settled and closed her eyes.

Fourty minutes later, Nanoha was still taking notes. She felt her neck a little stiff and when she took a moment to stretch her arms, she realized how late it was. She decided to wrap up for the day.

Carefully she got into bed, and hugged herself to the blonde's back.

"Hmm, you are a hopeless workaholic...", Fate told her with a more sleepy than awake voice.

"Do you want to know what else I'm addicted to?", she asked, rubbing the tip of her nose against Fate's nape.

"Mou, your nose is freezing cold." Fate answered with a low giggle.

"It's not the only thing." And to prove her point, she flexed her knees and touched her lover's calves with her feet.

Fate reacted at the touch and rolled over to get face to face with her.

"Naughty you!" Grabbing her by the ribs she started tickling her all over. The first ones over the clothes, the next ones, skillfully under the clothes .

"No, no! Wait, stop!" Nanoha whimpered in between laughs as they both rolled on their bed. One trying to escape, the other determined not to let the other escape.

"Oh no. Now you will pay the consequences, Instructor."

* * *

"That's an in-bed story?" I asked pretty frustrated.

"Well, it had me and Fate. In bed. I thought that's what you wanted."

It seems she's getting back at me for picking on Fate. I guess I had it coming. Her snicker confirms my thoughts.

"Very funny Nanoha-chan. I don't think the story ended there, though."

"It does, as far as you and this session are concerned."

Defeated in my own game, but for a first session it wasn't that bad at all. I think I have their cooperation. I know I've always had it, but maybe I pushed the limits a bit when I asked them to participate. I am naughty. Yeah, I know. But I do know they will enjoy this as well. It's always funny to remember past stories.

I bid farewell to my friends and we agree to meet here, next week.

You must be wondering how I persuaded Nanoha on the first place... well, that's something the world probably will never know, since, you know, the best mages out there never reveal their secrets.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I really like to write. I do. It's amazing. Anyways, just the same thing I said on my Spanish version, this fic is the melting pot for all my goofy ideas. I'll try to keep it updated with the Spanish version. But knowing myself, there will surely be times when this one will get the new chapter and the other will have to wait for the translation xD.

Oh and, yeah I stopped a bit before the events in Force. That's *again* a whole lot of new characters which I can't possibly handle.


	2. Second Session

Fate was picking up the stuff from her locker. Due to the end of year, the school's hallways were practically deserted, of people certainly, but not of garbage. The carelessness of boys and girls just the same was visible. Broken pencils, wide-open notebooks with shoe prints on the torn pages and even some forgotten sweaters decorated the floor. You could even say that the level of mess seemed to be directly proportional to their enthusiasm for the ending of the school year.

Fate sighed feeling a little dejected. She didn't know why she felt most of her classmates were too immature for her. Truth be told, deep down she knew. She had had to grow up faster than many of the other kids her age, since still being very young, she had lived experiences she wouldn't wish for anyone. She also had a lot of duties and responsibilities as active personnel of the TSAB. All of these clearly explained why she had a different perspective of the world than most teenagers.

At the other side of the hallway, Nanoha caught sight of her. She hadn't expected to see her now, but before she even realized, her feet were already moving towards Fate's direction.

"H-Hi...Fate-chan."

The blonde turned around to see her, a little startled since her thoughts had been interrupted. A sweet smile drew in her lips as she greeted her.

"I didn't expect to see you today."

"I had to return ahead of time. Since the year is coming to an end, I had some issues to deal with some of the professors. I'm way behind in a lot of homeworks since this time I was away for too long. Most of the teachers are unhappy with this situation and I have to take a lot of tests. I think I will have more than the ones I can handle in one day."

"Oh, yes. I have your notes here. Do you need help with anything else?"

"I think I've got it covered. Thanks anyway."

"You know... on Saturday we are having junior prom."

"So I've heard. I think this time I was really incommunicated. So, finally did you decide who you were going with?" Fate asked and as soon as the words came out, she mentally chastised herself for asking. She had had the firm conviction of not asking her a thing. If she had decided to distance herself, that was her choice. She was not going to beg. But here she was, and even against her own will, she had asked and now she'll have to deal with the answer.

"I...ahhh..." Nanoha hesitated, a little surprised that Fate knew she had several options.

"I bumped into Hayate this morning. It seems rather amusing for her to know that you have some many candidates to choose from. She wouldn't stop talking me about it." Fate somehow guessed what Nanoha was thinking and felt the need to justify herself.

Nanoha slightly blushed. The last weeks without Fate had been extremely weird not only because what had happened between them, but because all the boys around here seemed to have noticed that distance between her and Fate and, as fast as bees over honey had overwhelmed her with invitations to dinner and stuff. But that wasn't it. To increase her confusion, she had also been asked on dates by two girls from her Literature class. For some reason, she rejected them immediately.

In those hazy days, full of doubts and questions, she accepted to go out on several dates, and yet none of them was what she expected. With most of the boys she had had nothing to talk about. They had been, the majority of them, nice and attentive but she could never pay them the attention they deserved. Her mind would always drift away to other places, to another person in particular. Although there had also been the one who had wanted a little more action and the only thing he got in return was his dignity, and probably his crotch, a little more bruised than he would have anticipated.

Fate finished emptying her locker and, accepting the silence that had grown, shut it close.

"I guess I'll see you later," she excused herself.

She walked towards the main door while Nanoha stood still where she had left her. A few seconds later she felt her wrist being pulled and found herself entering in the first available door.

"Nanoha?"

Fate was convinced that such things only happened on TV when,someone entered a door at random it turned out to be the janitor's closet. The mop and broom showing behind Nanoha's head and the smell of cheap disinfectant cleared all possible doubts about where they were.

"I need to talk to you."

"Here?"

Nanoha gasped offended.

"I don't care about the place."

"Then why don't we go somewhere else?"

"Would you let me say what I need to say?"

Fate dropped her arms to the sides, almost a sign of defeat, and got prepared to listen.

"What do you need to say?

"You didn't give me a chance to answer..."

"Answer, what?" Fate asked a little desperate already.

"Who I was going to the prom."

"Oh, that. Well I guess it's not a big deal. Nor is it my business anyways."

"You don't care who I'm going with?"

Fate was positively sure she had just discovered a new allergy to one of those cleaners in that closet, which would explain the sudden discomfort in her eyes.

"Who was the lucky one to whom you did say yes?"

"Are you crying?"

"Of course I'm not crying, it's the chlorine!"

"Well, actually... what I wanted to tell you is that..." Nanoha started to clumsily play with her fingers as if they were little legs, walking from one of the shelves and into Fate's arm. "That I really missed you when you were not here..."

Within five seconds and thanks to the warm touch of her fingers against her own skin, Fate's exasperation disappeared. The lousy mood she had carried for the past ten weeks vanished. Her crimson eyes lingered curiously on Nanoha and following her game, she started to walk her fingers through Nanoha's navel and upward.

"Is that so?" She asked with her eyes set on her. "And how much did you miss me?"

"A lot..."

"And what did you miss about me?"

"Everything..."

"Everything, like what?"

"You smile, your eyes, your voice, your hugs..." Her fingers were already traveling the long length of Fate's arm, although her eyes were now focused on her own shoes.

"I see... anything else?"

"Yes...I also missed... your kisses..." She answered in a whisper Fate could barely hear, trying to hide the warmth in her cheeks.

Fate pushed her hands against Nanoha's stomach and slid them to her back, pulling her against her own body. She found no resistance from her.

"These hugs?" Fate whispered, leaning her head to her shoulder and started caressing the skin of her neck with her lips. "These kisses?" She asked again, as she moved up to her mouth and felt Nanoha slightly nodding.

"Ah,ah..aha..." She muttered with her heart racing faster by the second.

Fate was about to reach her mouth and when she was barely brushing her lips, she locked her eyes with hers.

"What about your doubts?"

"I... I don't know if it's normal," the girl sighed confused. "Doesn't it worry you?"

Fate shook her head, and placing her forehead against hers, asked.

"What is normal?"

"I shouldn't feel this way about a girl."

Fate sighed bewildered, trying to find the words that could let her know how she perceived their situation.

"By now you should have already realized that normal doesn't apply to either of us. Besides I don't see you as a girl, I mean you are obviously a girl, but that doesn't make a difference whatsoever for me. You are just Nanoha, my Nanoha. I like being with you, it makes me happy being with you. I don't understand why there has to be any more to it," Fate answered, stroking the reddish locks of hair falling over her eyes.

"And you are my Fate-chan. It also makes me happy being with you. Will you be patient with me?"

Fate held Nanoha's hands and placed her delicate palms against hers, her own fingers a bit longer than the other girl's.

"Does that mean I can't go out with anyone else?"

Nanoha looked at her confused. She didn't want her dating anyone else.

"Do you... want to date someone else?"

"Of course not, you dummy. Although I should, considering you had all those hot dates."

"Mou, Fate-chan. None of them were hot dates. Are you jealous?"

"Should I?" She asked shaking her head.

"I would if I were you."

"Then I deserve a reward for not having you go through such experience." Fate answered as she got closer to her. "And for not being a jealous maniac."

Nanoha placed her hands behind Fate's neck and pulled her close, playfully brushing her lips against the smiling blonde's.

"Are you dumping your date for the prom?" She managed to ask as they kissed.

"Why would I want to do that?"

Fate pulled backwards as if she had just received a surge of electricity.

"Who are you going with?" She demanded to know, visibly upset.

"With you! I want to go with you. I didn't say yes to anyone.. .because the only one I wanted to go with is you."

"For heaven's sake Nanoha, why didn't you start with that since the beginning?"

"I wasn't sure if Fate-chan wanted to know anything about me after being so stupid."

"One day you are going to drive me crazy beyond help. I know." She answered as she hugged her tightly. "Smooth ways of asking me to go to the prom with you, Ace."

* * *

"And that was our first fight."

"Along with the first time we made up again."

"Oh yes, I remember those days. I always wondered how you had solved your differences. It's good to know, after all this years, that the little pushes I gave to each actually worked. Wait, the first?"

"Of course. You wouldn't think everything has been all nice and fluffiness."

"Well it kind of destroys my image of you two."

Fate cracked in laughter.

"We've had our misunderstandings. Lots of them. But we've worked on them, because despite everything we might not agree about, ever since that day we understood there was something bigger than anything else..."

"Nothing or no one would ever break us apart." Nanoha completed.

"Oh, aren't you the cutest ever!"

"Aren't you supposed to be impartial, Hayate?"

"Doctor Hayate for you while we are on therapy."

"Nanoha, do you really think we should encourage her with this? I think she's going bananas for real."

"You know how Hayate is. Don't take her too seriously."

Why are they again speaking to each other as if I wasn't here?

"Alright, but I really think she's the one that should go to therapy or something. I mean, just in case."

And they have the nerve to call me crazy, to my face!

"But who knows what will happen if they start her on medication and dope her and she stops being our Hayate or they lock her down?"

"Don't exaggerate so much..."

"You know, if they actually declare her insanity..."

That's too much already. I should see them out now before I forget I'm a person of light and peace.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay so there's the second chapter for this story. I hope you liked it. Just to clear some doubts, this is intended to be 100% NanoFate stuff. If someone else picked up some NanoHayaFate vibes in the earlier chapter, I'm sorry to say that's not happening here (or in any of my fics actualy). If I'd ever have them join a threesome it'd be with (me? ahahaha j/k) with Signum, yeah kill me now. I might write about that in another fic LOL.


	3. Third Session

"Come on Fate-chan. Last time you said that next time you would go first. So, the stage is yours now." Hayate all but pushed a sheepishly blushing Fate to the center of the bar.

The place was jam-packed and some people had already tried their luck in the stage. Some duets, but mainly single singers had found the courage to step on the stage and sang, if some of that could be called singing, to the top of their lungs, and laughed as they finished, cheered by their friends and the rest of the potential singers.

"I-I don't even know what to sing." Fate replied as she was being pushed, trying to push back her weight against Hayate.

"Leave that to me."

With that said, Hayate gave her the final push with which Fate leaped the three steps up to the stage in one stride. Hayate, approached the hostess and whispered a few things. She nodded and Hayate clapped effusively. A few seconds later Hayate was back on the booth again. She got Nanoha off her seat and sat in the middle, forcing Nanoha to seat on the right most part of the booth. On the other side of the booth Suzuka and Arisa were deciding what drinks to order. It was girls night out.

Fate stood in the middle of the stage. She dressed simply and yet she looked absolutely ravishing on stage. Her golden hair flowing back untamed, her wine eyes showing a bit of fear, a bit of excitement and her particular glint, which to the unfamiliar eyes might seem like a melancholic almost indecipherable look. Black high-heeled boots, dark black jeans that showed off her long well-formed legs, a striped yellow top and her black leather jacket completed her look. Her colors, her style. She looked anxiously at the people on the tables and with her fingers toyed anxiously with Bardiche hanging in her golden necklace. Most of them were enjoying their drinks, but they all had their eyes on her. Her hands then clutched to the microphone as if her life depended on it. The lights dimmed and the first strings of the extremely familiar song were heard.

Fate breathed in deeply. This was a song she knew a lot too well. She wouldn't even need to look at the screen to follow the lyrics at all. Hayate had gotten her hands on her iPod for sure. During the first seconds of the song as the beautiful strings started playing voicelessly, she looked for the slate blue eyes that filled her mind every time she sang to this song. Her palms were sweaty as she felt the thrill of being the center of attention and yet with one look at those blue eyes that were the world to her, her voice started to flow, soft and beautiful, directed to the only girl in her world.

_No one ever saw me like you do_

_All the things that I could add up too_

_I never knew just what a smile was worth_

_But your eyes say everything without a single word_

Countless images of them appeared before her.

The first time they met.

They first time Nanoha held her and carried her on her arms and flew into the sky.

Nanoha extending her hand for her to take.

All about Nanoha.

Each and every time she introduced herself to her.

Everytime she repeated her name, and every time it got deeper in her mind.

The moment they met on the bridge and exchanged ribbons.

The first time she felt the warmth of her hands.

The transition of awkward moments that led to comforting hugs to waking up together sharing the same bed.

_'Cause there's somethin' in the way you look at me_

_It's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece_

_You make me believe that there's nothing in this world I can't be_

_I never know what you see_

_But there's somethin' in the way you look at me_

For Fate it was is if everybody in the bar had disappeared. Her eyes were set and her heart lead her voice.

With each strophe she walked a step closer to those eyes that had stolen her heart.

She sang and her voice poured out her feelings. Her voice was soft and arised from her soul, as pure and beautiful.

Because every word of that song reflected her feelings, and because in her eyes she found everything she needed.

Because up to this day sometimes she still wondered what exactly had Nanoha seen in her.

_If I could freeze a moment in my mind_

_It'll be the second that you touch your lips to mine_

_I'd like to stop the clock, make time stand still_

_'cause, baby, this is just the way I always wanna feel_

Because she remembered that exact moment all too well.

The desire.

The fear.

The love.

The sighs.

The first kiss that sealed what they already knew in her hearts for so long.

The relief.

The love.

The dreams.

The way the air became warmer.

The way their mind and their heart conspired together.

Because sometimes words were not needed when hearts understood each other.

When in the eyes you could read everything the heart insisted on shouting.

_'cause there's somethin' in the way you look at me_

_It's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece_

_You make me believe that there's nothing in this world I can't be_

_I never know what you see_

_But there's somethin' in the way you look at me_

And she walked towards her, knowing that she was her reason to be.

The woman she'd never stop falling in love with.

And her voice dropped a little, because she was singing to her and to her alone.

And the distance between them gre smaller with every step.

_I don't know how or why I feel different in your eyes_

_All I know is it happens every time_

And this time she extended her hand for Nanoha to take, and she did without hesitation. Fate closed the distance between them and forgot about the song in the back wile she looked for those lips and melted with hers into a deep kiss as the music for the last chorus continued. In her mind she could follow the lyrics, but her lips were much too busy to focus on that.

_'cause there's somethin' in the way you look at me_

_It's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece_

_You make me believe that there's nothing in this world i can't be_

_I never know what you see_

_But there's somethin' in the way you look at me_

Not only Arisa, Suzuka and Hayate, but also the other customers turned into audience erupted into applause, whistles and cheers as the music stopped and the lights were lit up again and Fate hid her face in Nanoha's neck, her face reaching the limits of human redness.

"Whoa, Fate. I didn't know you had that in you." Hayate bursted.

Fate still was hiding in Nanoha as she shared her blush.

The whistles and claps faded eventually and the host called for the next singer.

"The next round of drinks are one the house ladies," a curvy waitress informed them and winked at Hayate.

"Hey Hayate, I think you scored again," Arisa teased her.

"Hehehe, let's not forget who to thank for, for our next round of drinks." Hayate answered them but her eyes was following the waiter.

"Why would I need a drink now? I already did _that_, and sober!" Fate said, who was leaning against Nanoha who had her arms over Fate's shoulders and crossed over her chest.

"And you were just amazing!" Nanoha told her beaming. "I love you so much," she whispered to Fate's ear.

Fate took Nanoha's hands and kissed her wirsts and then her palms.

"I love you more."

* * *

"Geez girls. I'm starting to feel like I've played some sort of role in your relationship."

"Well.. maybe indirectly, you have pushed us on the right track..." Fate answered with a warm look on her eyes.

"...at the right moments."

They seem to have some sort of natural sync to end each other's sentences. Maybe they always have and I just hadn't noticed, or maybe it's something they developed over the course of time.

"I like your story girls, but you see, I'm starting to think you are not quite reliable when you tell your stories."

"What? Why would you think so, Hayate?"

"Well... you see I was with you that day, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, you chose my song. How can I _ever_ forget that?"

"Well I differ from your recollection of that night's events."

"Okay, maybe my description of Fate a little biased. But she did look amazing that night." Nanoha replied, slightly coloring her cheeks.

"No, Nanoha, I don't mean about that. You exaggerated the whole thing about the waitress."

"Really? Are you daring to contest that _part_ of our story?"

The way Nanoha asked seemed almost as if she were challenging me.

"Now that I push my memory a bit harder, I seem to remember you actually disappeared for a while Hayate. And you never go to the bathroom alone." Fate added.

"Certainly not when the free rounds of drinks turned into another and another."

Oh, that had been _that _time... I shouldn't have opened my mouth.

"Okay, okay, back to our main topic. Forget about the waitress."

"Did you ever call her again?"

"There was no waitress."

"You never called her?"

"Stop with the questions already. The therapy is about you two, not me!"

"Come on, Hayate. She looked nice..."

"Focus girls!"

I don't think these two are going to let this thing rest now.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I don't think I have every written a more cheesy, mushy, cliched chapter, and yet I liked it a lot, I hope you guys like it too. This is also my first attempt for a songfic. For those of you who don't know the song, its "The Way You Look at Me" by Kassie DePaiva. I suppose that, with every songfic, the idea is to read it along with the song. I could only find this version on youtube with only the song and lyrics (not used as a fanvid for another series) www. youtube. com / watch ? v = XUTcB8b8c_U (remember to delete the additional spaces). Three chapters in three days, I think I was on fire with the inspiration! This one in particular I started writing it yesterday, the other two were "easier" since they were translations. Anyways, my muse is amazing when she decides to pay me a visit xD


	4. Fourth Session

"Please take a seat, Nanoha. Can I get you anything?"

This is our fourth session and today Nanoha is the only one attending.

"Some coffee would be great."

I walked towards the small service table in one of the corners of my office. Amazingly enough, I've been able to understand how to work this diabolic machines. I place the crystal cup in place, and after a loud screech, said machine fills it perfectly. You just press one button and this thing masterfully prepares a cappuccino, with its perfect transitions between milk and coffee, and of course topped with delicious foam. It would be impossible to get that coffee more perfect than it already is. A few seconds later, I have a second one ready. In the meantime I keep chatting with Nanoha.

"Fate couldn't make it this time, huh?"

"Yeah," Nanoha answers a bit dismayed. "We were able to talk a bit this morning. There were some problems and she had to stay for the weekend. Some people are down with a virus or something and they are quarantined. You know how she is, she never gets sick so she volunteered to stay on duty. I hope she can be back by next Friday. Actually I didn't know whether to cancel today's appointment or not."

"I'm glad you didn't," I answered as I handed her the cup of coffee. "I knew there would be times when Fate wouldn't be able to make it. Of course that will mean less stress for her, and as long as this doesn't get in the middle of other things you need to do, I have enjoyed this talks with you a lot."

"I am glad you are finally using the gift I gave you," Nanoha laughed. "And I agree with you. The truth is, we have both enjoyed our talks a lot. When we leave here, we keep talking about things that… I don't want to say things we have forgotten, it's more like things we didn't remember we remembered. It's like opening a memento box of us."

Nanoha's mind must be a weird and complicated place because I guess only she understood what she was trying to say, but she was so inspired it would be a felony to interrupt her.

"It's more like we have taken this as an opportunity to remember and relive so many things we have lived together. Everything we have gone through to get to this minute today, knowing that we wouldn't change anything on the least bit, because maybe that thing could change everything. Therefor, the good things, the bad things, everything has been worth it because we can be here today. And that opportunity we owe it to you."

"It's not as complicated as it seemed at first."

"Well, I must confess Fate tried to talk me out of coming here today."

"Why am I not surpised at all?"

"She just suggested it a couple of times," Nanoha laughed a little mischeviously.

"Does she worry about what you may say about her?" I asked suspiciously.

"I guess she'd rather know exactly what I say about her."

"Well, and considering Fate-chan isn't around, spill the beans. Who is the one who takes the couch when you two argue?"

"Nyahaha," Nanoha laughed her usual laugh. With a half-smile you looked to the window and sipped her coffee.

"Tell me…" I insisted.

Nanoha scratched her head and looked at me amused.

"Aren't you telling? Let me guess… Would you be such a meanie as to send her to the couch?"

Nanoha's guilty expression was as much of an answer as I could get.

"Fine, let's get to that when Fate can speak for her own. So tell me, how or when did you realize she was the one?"

Nanoha's expression softened immediately. Her blue eyes acquired a violet glint to them which accented her dreamy look and the smile appearing in her lips became wider.

She moved a little on her chair and sipped some more coffee, taking her time to answer. I was definitely getting a full answer on this.

"It's hard to know if there was a right or specific moment. You don't see it at first, I think, it's only when you look back when you can understand what certain things mean. I guess it's like a whole series of events that eventually build up to it; I do have one moment very clear in my mind, it happened a few weeks after the Book od Darkness Incident. Everythin was going back to normal..."

"Or what we know as _normal_", I emphasized the last word.

* * *

A girl with copperlike twintails walked side by side with another one, slightly taller and with long blonde twin tails. Their school uniforms would hardly reveal their true identitites. The dangers they have had to overcome at such young age, the uncanny magical power lying within each; the responsibilities they had on them. Nonetheless, what wasn't typical of those two schoolgirls was the melancholic look in they eyes of one of them and the worried look of the other.

"Is it stupid to love someone I didn't know?"

"I don't think it's stupid."

"I sometimes fell guilty for being here. It's her, Alicia, the one who should be..."

"I-I...don't know what to tell you Fate-chan," Nanoha stuttered a bit. "In that sense, I can only see things in my own selfish way, and I don't think it will help you much."

Her hand instinctively looked for the young blonde's one, who immediately felt the surge of color in her cheeks. She squeezed it lightly as they kept walking together. Little by little, their fingers found it's way between each other.

"Nanoha, one thing you could never be is selfish."

"In this case, yes..."

"..."

Nanoha and Fate both stopped at the enormous maple tree that dominated the park. They left their student bags on the grass and simultaneously sat down, leaning on the tree. The blonde laid her head on the brunette's shoulder while they both idly watched the clouds in the sky. Nanoha in return, put her arm on the shoulders of the other girl.

"If she hadn't...if nothing had ever happened... Sometimes I can't help but think what could have happened if I hadn't done something else instead of what I did. Or what could have happened if one didn't meet certain people. In this casem if that accident had never happened, then you wouldn't... you never...," with the first tears glittering in her eyes, she tooks Fate's hands between hers and looked at the tears in her eyes.

"Why do I feel so guilty?," she said in between sobs.

"But it was not your fault. You had nothing to do with what happened."

"I can't seem to be able to separate between my own memories and Alicia's memories, it's so confusing, but at times I wish she were alive", Fate whispered with tears almost choking her throat shut.

"Don't ever say that," Nanoha begged, tightening the grip of her hands.

"Why not?"

"Because if that were the case, if she was alive, then you... you would have never been born. And then I'd be very lonely, and I'd miss you..." Not even finishing her sentence, she hugged herself tightly against the blonde.

"You wouldn't be lonely," she answered, delicately stroking her hair.

"But it wouldn't be the same without you," Nanoha answered back, looking her directly into her eyes.

"You couldn't miss something you had't known yet," answered pinching the tip of her nose.

Nanoha sighed and rested in between Fate's arms.

_I always knew something was missing in my life. That feeling has been fading away since you entered my life. It's as if there was a space in me where I only found loneliness, and now it's as if that space holds your name, it was waiting for you, because you just filled it with your own self. Because I can look at you and know that I won't be alone ever again, you eyes tell me so. Even if you are not exactly here with me, I know you are with me._

"Fate-chan?"

"Yes?" The owner of the burgundy eyes asked.

"Wasn't it supposed to be me the one comforting you?"

"Well, it's an unusual method, but you do," she answered sweety, carefully placing the rebellious locks of Nanoha's hairs behind her ear.

"_I'm glad I don't have to face my inner demons alone..."_

They stayed a little longer silently enjoying each other's company, enjoying the peacefulness of the place they were in. Such simple things as listening to the birds chirping, or watching the butterflies flying by, leaving a colorful trail in their way or the neverending transformation of the clouds in the sky, simply became a thousand times better just because they were enjoying them together.

They both allowed their minds to divagate and even if at that moment there were things yet to be understood, there were things they already knew. Because they both new there were so many things they always wanted to say to each other, ideas in their minds that they just didn't know how to put into words, but they could understand, just by looking at each other, just by their touch. Because they knew there was a real, unbreakable bond between them.

A couple of minutes passed by, in silence, which was broken when Fate sighed heavily.

"Do you think she would have liked me, had she known me?"

"I think that, wherever she is, she loves you and wants you to be happy."

"Nanoha?"

"Huh?"

"Thank you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I wanted to publish chapters 4 and 5 before I left for my 12 day trip... but apparently I wasn't able. I'll work on it when I get back, so next chapter will be up in the first days of May. Thank you for reading, and thanks to my new friends at nanofate dot us. I hope you are liking it so far. This chapter was awfull short, I know, but to make up for it, next one is longer xD


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